Month: May 2012

“Arise then, women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be that of water or tears!

“Say firmly: ‘We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies.

Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.

Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have taught them of charity, mercy and patience.

We women of one country will be too tender of those of another to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.’

“From the bosom of the devastated earth, a voice goes up with our own. It says, ‘Disarm, disarm!’

The sword of murder is not the balance of justice. Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor does violence indicate possession.

As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar but of God.

“In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.”

Tantrums are an interesting phenomena. Every child throughout history has had tantrums. It must be a natural human activity. Yet most parents will do anything to prevent their children from tantruming and stop them once they’ve gotten started.

As a general rule, natural human activities are beneficial. But based on the latest research, parents are advised to distract the child or ignore them.

However there’s another way that many parents have found to bring satisfying results: stay close and listen. Allow the child to take the time needed to complete the unloading of the intense feelings that prevent her from engaging in learning and playing. If you allow the child to complete this work, you will usually find that when finished, she will be relaxed and eager to connect and re-engage.

This is similar a similar process to crying. Instead of hurt, it’s frustration that’s being unloaded. And instead of gently holding your child on your lap, you may have to be more active to prevent your child from hurting herself or others. But it’s the same process and the same result. You’ll have assisted your child in achieving a state of equilibrium once more.